Lessons Learned from Surviving a Fire in 2024

Today, I want to share four highlights with you:

• The event of 2024 that changed my perspective on everything.

• A review of my mission and the work I’ve done with traders.

• A summary of the most popular posts written.

• And a task in the end to get you momentum for 2025.

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The Fire Experience

2024 was a year I’ll never forget—it tested me in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

Earlier this year, I lived through the worst moment of my life: a fire accident in my building in Valencia.

Ten months later and it’s still hard to revisit. But the lessons I took from that experience run so deep that I hope sharing them opens your perspective in some way. If I can do that, this story has served its purpose.

It was a regular Thursday afternoon in Valencia. The wind was strong—blowing at around 50 km/h—but nothing unusual for a winter day in the city.

I was at home, writing a post for the newsletter, when I noticed a strange smell. I stepped onto the terrace and saw smoke coming from an apartment on the opposite side of the building. Here’s a picture, my apartment is marked in yellow:

I could see a firefighter van already on the spot, so my thought was, They’ve got this under control. It’ll be fine.

Many neighbors were napping—it was siesta time. My partner and I started packing a few essentials to leave, thinking we’d join the neighbors who had already evacuated.

Then something strange happened.

As we opened our door to leave, we found our front neighbor casually entering their apartment as if nothing was happening. I approached them, confused, and they told me the firefighters had said it was safer to stay inside. “The fire is under control,” they said. “Just go to the bathroom, soak towels, and seal the door gaps.”

I hesitated. Everything I’d ever learned about evacuating in school simulations said the opposite. But we trusted their instructions and went back inside. Afterall, there were no visible signs of danger yet. The hallway seemed clear. So we soaked the towels, sealed the doors, and waited for the best.

Minutes later, everything changed…

I stepped out onto the terrace again, and this time, I saw the flames were already in the middle part of the building. The fire wasn’t slowing down—it was accelerating at a fast speed.

(Later on, after the fire, we got to know the building’s exterior was made of flammable material—banned in construction years ago. No one knew of this, not even our trusted goalkeeper working in the building since its construction.)

Shit was getting real. I knew we couldn’t stay.

So as I rushed to open the front door, a thick black cloud of smoke came into the apartment. The hallway was pitch dark. I slammed the door shut. My heart was racing.

That’s when it hit me: The only way out now is through the terrace. Unless the firefighters made it to the 8th floor, we were trapped.

At that moment, our lives (mine and my partner’s) were in the hands of the firefighters.

I’ve always been a control freak—I plan, I prepare, I anticipate every variable. But this was a situation I couldn’t control.

We went back to the terrace, waving to the firefighters and the crowd below. “Stay inside!” they yelled. It was too dangerous to be outside with the fragments of building material flying around.

But staying inside felt like the wrong thing to do, especially with our survival instinct at its max. After some tense discussions with my partner—both of us panicking—we made a desperate decision: we’d jump from our terrace to the neighbor’s terrace to move away from the fire. Here’s a picture with an arrow pointing to where we jumped.

This was the safest place to be, further away from the fire focal point.

So we grabbed some wet towels to put around our faces and put on thick clothes and winter caps as protection.

We jumped. When my feet landed on the other terrace.. that was the most frightening moment of my life. The firefighters were arranging the stairs to reach us, but it was taking ages. Each minute felt like an hour.

Then, one firefighter climbed up with a smaller ladder to prepare the area around us, working to control the fire so they could safely complete the rescue. After two hours of sheer desperation, the main ladder finally reached our terrace.

I’ll never forget the feeling as we made our way down—a mix of massive compassion with gratitude for someone who saved our lives.

As we made it to the ground, I couldn't stop thanking them, to which they’d reply, “We did our job.” That sentence sounded like the most unfair thing I had ever heard after being saved.

We were quickly sent to hospital; we recovered quickly, not major injuries. At least physically…

For a week, I felt completely disconnected from reality. I couldn’t process what had happened. When I finally did, I learned my partner and I were the only two people rescued from the building out of the ten who had stayed trapped.

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Lots of things crossed my mind at that time…

What if the terrace had caught fire, like so many others? What if the wind had blown toward our side of the building? Had we followed the fireman's rules and gone to the bathroom, we wouldn’t be here today. Man, that’s harsh… it’s harsh to think that one decision made in a split second could mean life or death. But those thoughts were toxic, and I had to learn to let them go.

Processing the experience wasn’t easy. The feelings of guilt—common in situations like this—were heavy. Guilt for being rescued when others weren’t, and guilt for the trauma of it all. Thankfully, professional help guided me through those emotions and helped me begin to heal.

In the end, what stayed with me most was an overwhelming sense of luck. It felt like I’d been given a second chance—by the universe, God, or some higher power. For someone agnostic like me, that’s how surreal and extraordinary it felt.

That accident was terrible, but as anything that doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger. The lesson I took from it… that’s what I wanna highlight.

I have always been told that sometimes we need to hit rock bottom to change our lives for the better. Hopefully, you don't need to go through a shock like this to arrive at the same realization I did: the importance of focusing on what truly matters.

That question consumed my thoughts after the fire and throughout the break I took: What genuinely matters to me?

What do I truly want to do? What kind of impact do I want to have on others? What do I want to be remembered for? And perhaps most importantly, what deeply motivates me?

These questions became an obsession. It seemed I had unlocked a new level of awareness.

I began living more intentionally, setting clear boundaries, and prioritizing myself unapologetically. This meant cutting certain people out of my life, learning to say “no” a lot more often, and clarifying my priorities.

I spent hours in conversation with myself, searching for answers to those questions. Yet, I realized the real value wasn’t in the answers themselves but in creating the space to ask the questions regularly. That practice of reflection is something I’m committed to carrying into 2025.

As we end the year and approach 2025, I can only leave you with the same question that haunted my mind for the next months after the fire accident:

What truly matters to you?

Who do you wanna be for others? What impact do you intend to have? What would you do if money, stress, or the biggest obstacle you’re experiencing now wouldn’t exist?

These are the important questions. Also, the scary ones.

Before setting trading goals for 2025, take a moment to pause. Have an honest conversation with yourself. Connect with what truly matters, with what you’re made of.

Although you might have no idea what your future looks like 10 years from now, you do have a guiding light inside of you.

The challenge is to connect with it more often.

This is your moment to do just that.

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My Mission in Action

The fire experience pushed me to understand what my mission was, and although it’s hard to be specific about it, I arrived at one conclusion:

I knew I wanted to keep helping people in some way, shape, or form.

Right now, that means helping traders elevate their performance through one-on-one coaching.

I firmly believe that you can’t become a better trader without becoming a better person—and vice versa. The two are interconnected. That’s why I’ve combined life and trading performance coaching. True, lasting change happens when both areas are addressed together.

In 2024, I had the privilege of working 1:1 with 10 incredible clients, each on their own unique journey. Here’s a snapshot of what this year looked like:

• 9 out of 10 struggled with impulsivity or cycles of impulsivity and hesitation.

• 1 client struggled purely with hesitation due to a market trauma from a past event.

• 3 clients were returning after previous work together.

• 2 out of those 10 are long-term clients.

• 9 experienced noticeable improvements in their trading performance, describing the program as transformative not just for their trading but for their self-understanding and personal growth.

These results go by my goal—to help fewer traders on a 1:1 context for closer guidance (deep connection has been one of my drivers, so it makes no sense for me to host communities with a large number of traders—it works more as a distraction).

Here’s what a few of my clients had to say about their experience:

“Thanks to Sara I have not only enhanced my trading results but also developed a more balanced and fulfilling approach to my trading career.” — Larry, TX, US, Options Trader

"This was the investment I made that paid faster. No course, class, or video has helped me as much as this coaching." — Julison, MI, US, Futures Trader

"Sara has a tremendous skillset and way of reaching you where you are to help you build yourself. I highly recommend working with her." — Corey, TX, US, Futures Trader

"What sets her coaching apart is the personalized touch. Sara’s commitment to her clients is exceptional." — Samuel, KS, USA, Futures Trader

“I highly recommend working with Sara.” — David, CO, US, Futures Trader

“Sara’s organization, expertise in the psychology field, multiple channels of communication, and reliability make her packages one of the most valuable in the space” — Larry, MI, US, Options Trader

If you’re ready to commit to doing the work that creates results in 2025, visit The Peak Trading Performance Coaching Program here to learn more.

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2024 Best Posts

Take a look at the highlights from this year…

I published 48 posts for The High-Performing Trader, and here are the top 8:

1. Why Changing Yourself Won’t Make You a Better Trader—And What Will

2. Why You Keep Blowing Prop Firm Challenges—and How to Stay Consistent

3. Why Highly Successful Business Minds Struggle in Trading

4. Key Differences Between 5-Figure and 7-Figure Traders

5. Becoming a Trader with Unshakeable Self-Confidence

6. Closing the Gap Between Knowing and Doing

7. When to Take a Break (Not Quit) in Trading

8. The Identity Shift Every Trader Needs

I published 49 Thursday Trader’s Tips (the free edition), and these are the top 6:

1. Great Losers Win

2. Remodeling Your Toxic Pattern

3. Are Non-A+ Setups Worth the Risk?

4. The 3 Signs You’re Growing as a Trader

5. Rebel? Here’s How to Make Rules Work

6. Why You Keep Returning to Stage Zero

Throughout the year, many traders reached out to share their gratitude for this newsletter, and I want to take a moment to thank you in return. Thank you all for your interest in becoming better traders and better people—that’s what will always keep us connected.

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Task of the Week

This last week of 2024, I want you to select the title from the list above that most resonates with your current situation, read the post, and complete the task of the week at the end.

When I launched the High-Performing Trader here on Substack, I was only sure of one thing: I wanted to make it actionable.

This newsletter is intended for more than passive reading. It is for traders who are ready to execute the necessary steps to achieve high performance.

If this is you, try the paid plan and experience how it can elevate accountability and trading confidence.

Wishing you a fantastic close to 2024! Here’s to reconnecting in 2025 and continuing this journey together through the newsletter.🥂

With love,

Sara

P.S. Enjoyed the post? ❤️ and Share it with someone who might need the push too!

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Best of 2023 and a Personal Note